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Needed

Posted in Uncategorized on April 11, 2011| 16 Comments »

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So on Saturday morning while walking down the stairs, I’m not sure if I took a step funny or what, but I was halted in my tracks by a shooting pain across the middle of my back. It literally felt like it started on the left and shot across to the right, leaving a streak of enduring pain behind it.

Great! I thought, Just what I need a week before Boston. I thought about my Scared post and laughed. Many of you had warned me that I was either a.) focusing on the negative or b.) tempting fate with humor. Just to clarify, the post was meant in good humor, though any marathoner will tell you that those thoughts do go through their heads in the week or two before a race. And so I laughed. Was this Fate trying to tell me not to toy with or tease her? Was this simply bad luck? Was I going to have to take the last week off completely from running to make sure my back was all right for race day?

It turns out that it was something completely different!

***

On Sunday I had a scheduled 12-miler. This was to be the last double-digit mile run before the Boston Marathon. I actually thought about skipping it all together to give my back a break and allow it to mend itself, but I couldn’t resist the urge to get on the course and run those last 6.2 miles of the course that on race day can be a real killer. Running them would allow my legs to remember what it should feel like on Marathon Monday and hopefully carry me through to a strong finish.

And so I went, back pain and all.

I parked the car a ways from the base of Heartbreak Hill and began to stretch. My back was not happy.

Maybe this isn’t such a good idea!

But I was determined to at least give it a go. I was off and soon huffing and puffing up Heartbreak without much of a warm up. I guess Heartbreak was my warm up. As I crested the Hill that has ended so many people’s Boston Marathons, I settled into a groove. It was relatively early, without a whole lot of runners on the course. Before I knew it, I was at Cleveland Circle, then the CITGO sign, then taking a right on Hereford (where I stuck my hands out and pretended to be an airplane), finally taking a left on Boylston, flying along…

I stopped short of the finish line, just like I had last week. I was not going to cross it or touch it.

I looked at the finish line and said, I’ll see you next week!, and then I turned around and headed back to my car, 6.2 miles away.

Again, the run flew by and before I knew it, I was done.

Over 12 miles in under 90 minutes, and I felt great.

And guess what? My back pain was gone (and still is!).

So I guess what my back was telling me was that my body needed some miles! Maybe my body has adjusted to the concept of 50 miles per week and isn’t happy if it doesn’t get it. I ended last week with my lowest mileage in over 4 month. 32 miles just didn’t/doesn’t feel like enough.

I’ve known for a while that I needed to run to stay sane, what I didn’t realize was that I needed to run to keep aches and pains away.

Why do you run?

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Community

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Bloggers, boston marathon, runners on April 8, 2011| 6 Comments »

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10 days until the Boston Marathon.

ONLY 10 DAYS!!!

I’m very excited.

I can’t WAIT to get off of the bus at Hopkinton and start running.

Yes, I am very excited.

But there is something else that I am excited about. Starting next Friday, I am going to get to see many of you – some for the very first time. Whether it’s the “running blog get together” or the “dailymile hootenanny” or simply finding each other at the expo during the day, Marathon Weekend means that instead of being flung all over this country, connected via Twitter, dailymile, Facebook and our respective blogs <—Click There<—, we will have a chance to break bread (gotta carbo-load), drink wine (in moderation) and talk about running (without having the other person’s eyes glaze over).

What a treat!

I look forward to welcoming you to my adopted city.

Why do you run?

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Blue

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged autism, autism awareness, blue, light it up, white house on April 2, 2011| 10 Comments »

Lighting It Up Blue

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Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Although awareness is not the goal, it is the means to get us there. I would like to thank each and every one of you who lent words of support, left comments on my wife’s letter to the president and went out and lit it up blue last night.

I am sorry to say that we did not succeed in getting the White House to do the same. We did get President Obama to say —>THIS<—, and the White House did contact my wife for —>THIS<—, but we were really hoping for —>THIS<—.

Thank you again for your time and effort. I’m sorry we could not make it happen.

For those that lit it up blue last night, I hope you will consider leaving your lights like that until the end of the month.

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Left to Right

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Giffords, letter to the right, Loughner, rhetoric on January 14, 2011| 5 Comments »

Rhetoric – the undue use of exaggeration or display.

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Dear Friends on the Right,

I do not blame you for what happened in Arizona this past weekend.

I do not blame the likes of Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Michael Graham and their ilk. The shooter obviously was an unbalanced fellow.

I do not blame the use of targets on maps.

I do not blame the use of the word “reload”.

I do not blame the rhetoric that has become the norm in both politics and talk radio today.

No. I do not blame any of those things.

I hear radio hosts and pundits getting defensive.

The truth is, at this point, we don’t even know what the politics of this disturbed individual are. He may in fact be a far, FAR left liberal who feels that Congresswoman Giffords rode too close to the center.

Everybody needs to tone it down, and take it down a notch. Everybody seems to be taking what everyone else says to extremes.

Why is it that someone can’t be held personally responsible for their actions if they are influenced by others?

The left wants to blame what they perceive as the hateful rhetoric of the right, while the right insists that the left wants to free the shooter of all responsibility by blaming the right. Guess what folks, you’re both wrong…and right.

Jihadists aren’t made by Islam. They are influenced by a militant wing of Islam. But guess what! Every jihadist is personally responsible for the destruction and mayhem they cause. Does that free the radical , militant wing of Islam of any responsibility? Heck no!!!

Now don’t think for a second that I am comparing the Far Right to Militant Islam as equals. That would be doing exactly what those on the far right AND far left have been doing for the last oh so many years.

No.

I say this is to illustrate that Words have power; Words have influence. Jared Loughner may not have been influenced by the rhetoric, but someone out there will be. If we are not careful, Democracy could be headed down a path of ultra-partisanship. Being partisan is NOT bad. Democratic political debate is not the enemy. I would never ask the government to censure speech. I would simply like to see people, politicians and pundits on both side of the aisle use some common sense and some civilized restraint. In the spirit of my conservative friends, self-regulate!

Hateful words have a place in our society. Using them rarely gives them gravity, meaning; but if used constantly, they numb those who hear it, and they become the norm. It’s the same lesson I teach my 9 year old. If you cry all the time, you lessen the power of your tears. Use them rarely and people will pay attention when you do.

Conservative talk show host Jay Severin argues that unless one can be arrested for saying something (like yelling “FIRE” in a crowded movie theater) then one can say anything and it is protected by the First Amendment. He’s right, but he misses the point so many on the left are vainly trying to convey. We can be partisan but still work together. We can start talking TO each other as opposed to AT each other. Some political figures figured that out over the last week…sadly, others did not. To say that one is not responsible for what a crazy person does with one’s words is the exact opposite of personal responsibility – YOU are responsible for the words that come out of YOUR mouth, and words have power.

Words have power – if they didn’t, we wouldn’t have literature, poetry, music. We wouldn’t have dialogue – which is exactly what this Great Nation needs to get back to.

Both sides of the aisle have good, productive ideas. Why can’t one be both pro-Choice AND for the death penalty? or the other way around? Why can’t one be for gay-marriage AND tougher immigration laws? or the other way around? We as a people need to come together and find a way to make this Great Nation even better. Part of what makes it great is that we can speak our minds, but that doesn’t mean we speak whatever comes to mind. We don’t need Thought Police, but we do need a return to Thought. Thoughtful dialogue leads to a better understanding of each other, which can only make us stronger.

Yours Truly,

Luau

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Run Katie Run

Posted in Uncategorized on January 6, 2011| 9 Comments »

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7:10 – Wednesday Night – I am sitting in the basement watching my 9-year old run.

She is running on the treadmill for the second time in 3 nights. On Monday she ran 1.33 miles in 20 minutes. Tonight, her legs a little sore from Monday, she has set a goal of 1 mile. I couldn’t be prouder. After I spent much of the summer and fall trying in vain to entice her to run, Katie finally decided she wanted to run…on her own.

I don’t know what motivated her, and honestly I don’t care. The bottom line is that something clicked and she found the inner motivation. It didn’t matter how much I encouraged her before – until she decided it was truly something she wanted to do, she just wasn’t going to do it.

In these two runs, she has found a sense of pride in completing the runs and has said that she physically felt great afterward (though her legs are a little sore). I think it’s cute that she wants me down there with her while she runs. She keeps an eye on her distance, ticking away the minutes, alternately chatty and silent.

As her run comes to an end (1 mile, 15:00!) she say ,”I’m tired but that was fun.”

Isn’t that what it’s all about?

“I’m proud of myself,” she says as she walks the cool down.

I’m proud of you too baby, I’m proud of you too.

Why do you run?

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The Goose Egg

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged goose egg, New Year, running on January 1, 2011| 5 Comments »

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It stares at me. It taunts me. Whether it is the beginning of the year, the month or the week, it dares me to wipes its grin off of its face. It is the dreaded goose-egg. Whatever the cycle, it has the ability to wipe away all of the hours, miles and sweat I have endured. I hate the goose-egg and the power it holds over me.

Every Monday, it is waiting for me. Every 1st of the month, it is waiting for me. At the turn of every year, it is waiting for me. This morning the goose-egg wiped away 148 miles for December and 1552 miles for 2010. A new month, a new year.

But I am stronger than the goose-egg. I have the strength to chase it away, if just for a week, a month, a year.

One step – that is all it takes. One step, and the goose-egg is banished for another 7, 30, 365 days.

And one step leads to another and then another. Steps turn into yards, yards turn into miles, miles turn into sweat, sweat turns into better health and mental well-being.

Last night at midnight, the goose-egg returned. At 5AM this morning, I zapped it away with 4 slow miles. It is not the pace that matters. It is that I took the first steps of 2011.

Happy New Year!

May your year be filled with health in your heart, happiness in your soul and miles on the road.

Why do you run?

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Pass the Mic

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged kool-aid, podcast, running, runrunlive on December 10, 2010| 7 Comments »

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Here’s something new and different. Today you can find me —>HERE<— as a guest on Chris Russell’s latest podcast at RunRunLive. I’m at the beginning introducing the show and reading my Kool-Aid post. A totally new medium for me. When you’re done, come back and let me know how I did. I hope you enjoy it.

Why do you run?

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A Runner’s Thanks

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged thanksgiving on November 24, 2010| 15 Comments »

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving – a time to give thanks to those that have blessed you over the course of the past year.

I give thanks first and foremost to my family – my wife, who doesn’t get my running at all, but knows that it is important to me, and therefore not only puts up with it, but even takes the time to read this blog on a regular basis (talk about love); my girls, who cheer me on unconditionally, even if they don’t quite get my passion either.

I give thanks to my running friends – Mike, who has always been somewhat of a running GUIDE to me; to Pete, who was the first runner in the Twitterverse to reach out to me and introduce me to a WORLD of RUNNERS; to Brendan, whose bright spirit and kind words always encouraged.

I give thanks to Doug and Adam, who showed me what DETERMINATION looked like; to Alain, who showed me what TEAM looked like; to Steve and Caleb, who showed me what ASPIRATION looked liked; to TK and Michelle, who showed me what FRIENDSHIP looked like; to Lam and Kirsten, who showed me what HEART looked like; to Mary, who showed what GRACE looked like; to Chris and Chaz, who showed me what WISDOM looked like; to David, who showed me what friendly COMPETITION looked like; to Sarah and Brian, who showed what INSPIRATION looked like; to Sheila, who show me what MOTIVATION looked like; to Alett, who showed me what CAMARADERIE looked like; to Jennifer and Erin who showed me what STRENGTH looked like; to Josh, who showed me what KARMA looked like; to Paula, Judith, Jenn, and Alysia, who showed me what COMMUNITY looked like; to Rhonda, Sandra, and Gaby, who showed me what SHARING looked like; to Linda, Barb, Rachel, Sandra, Eva, Teresa, Bekah, Lauren, Melissa, Ryan and Magda who showed me what SUPPORT looked like. The list could go on and on. I know I’ve forgotten many, but please know that if we have crossed paths through running, I am thankful for it.

I give thanks to Vibram and Saucony, who protected my feet and carried me this past year to 7 minute improvements in both the 10K and Half-Marathon distances, a 35 minute improvement at the marathon distance and a BQ.

I finally give thanks to RUNNING, which has been my outlet and therapy. Would I be alive without running. Sure. Would I be happy without running. Undoubtedly, I’m a generally happy guy. But I do know that I would be neither AS happy nor nearly as healthy. Because of running, I am in better shape than I was 20 years ago, physically AND mentally. I am lighter, I am stronger, I am faster – I am better. Without running, I would not have met most of you! I am thankful that running has introduced me to a group of people that I firmly believe are the nicest, friendliest, least judgmental group of human beings in the world.

Tall or short; big or small; fast or slow; it doesn’t seem to matter to runners – as long as you run, you are one of us – and for that, I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

If you are traveling this weekend, be safe and don’t forget your running shoes!

Have you entered the dailymile Feed the Turkey Virtual 5K?

Why do you run?

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Conflicted

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged ING New York City Marathon, marathon, pacing, training on October 18, 2010| 15 Comments »

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New York is still just under 3 weeks away. Before running Smuttynose, I had told myself that if I had the good fortune of qualifying for Boston, my approach to New York would be that of a fun run, a celebration, a victory lap. I was going to soak in every mile of the New York City Marathon experience, not caring what my time was.

That was my intent.

However, after watching the fantastic finish at the Chicago Marathon and tracking my friends at Chicago, Portland and Bay State, several of whom had BQ’s of their own, there’s been this voice; this voice that’s whispering in my ear.

It’s whispering, “3:15…3:15…3:15”.

I don’t even know if I can run a 3:15!

And furthermore, there’s no real reason for me to be attempting 3:15. By the time November 7th arrives, I will have already registered for Boston 2011 (registration opens this morning at 9:00AM), so it’s not like I’d improve my corral placement. On top of that, with only 5 weeks between Smuttynose and New York, no one is really expecting to see any kind of improvement, are they? Of course, the last time I ran 2 marathons so closely together, I did manage a 2 minute PR.

So I’ve been asking myself, could I take 4 minutes off in New York? Should I even try?

To make matters worse, my friend David (@DP_Turtle), who BQ’d at Chicago and finished Boston last year 11 seconds ahead of me, has thrown down a challenge. He will be running New York and is thinking maybe we should have a little side bet. Before you try stop me, it’s too late! We have agreed that the loser at New York is buying the winner a beer at Boston 2011. True, that’s not a whole lot on the line – it’s just a beer…and bragging rights!

Now, I did say early on, that I was planning on stopping to see everyone I know along the way and snapping a picture. Can I still do that and run harder than I did at Smuttynose? I don’t know. It’s doubtful.

So you see? I’m conflicted. I want to enjoy my victory lap. I want to hug every friend along the way (though after a few miles they may not want to hug me). But the competitive nature in me is whispering, “3:15…3:15…3:15”.

What’s a runner to do? What do you think?

Why do you run?

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Plan B

Posted in health, training, Uncategorized, Vibram Five Fingers, tagged Elliptical, Injury, Rehab, running on May 13, 2010| 7 Comments »

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I am a runner.

I run.

A lot.

You know this.

So does just about everybody else.

“Hey, do you know Luau?”

“Who?”

“The running dad.”

“Oh yeah! I know him. The guy with the funny shoes, right?”

Yes, anybody who knows me, even tangentially, knows me as a runner.

***

So what happens to a runner when he or she can’t run, or as is more my current situation, shouldn’t run.

Two marathons in two weeks beat me up far worse than I initially thought. The pain I am in gives me an even greater appreciation for what guys of Operation Jack and MarathonQuest250 are doing. My right knee just is not a happy puppy right now. The right thing to do after my Providence and Boston combo was NOT to run. But purchasing the new Bikilas was too much of a temptation to resist, so I ran. And then I ran again.

And as awesome as running in the Bikilas were, an injured knee is an injured knee. What’s a runner to do? Running has come to define me. It is who I am. It is my therapy to deal with the craptastic issues I’m dealing with in everyday life. It is my medicine. My escape. My release.

What am I to do when I can’t run?

I go to Plan B.

I love running, but one of my favorite parts of running is the sweating.

When I break a real sweat, I feel cleansed. When I am exhausted, I feel energized. When my muscles ache, I feel great.

It the paradox of running, but running isn’t the only way to achieve those feelings.

I have been inspired by my friend Jersey, who gets up every morning at 4:00 to hop on to her elliptical for an hour. She uses her hour of redlining it much in the same way I use my runs. She is just about as crazy as I am when it comes to needing that rush, that escape. So at least for now, while I know I shouldn’t be running, I am going to go with Plan B. I’m taking it easy on the knees and hopping on the elliptical for hour every day. Thank God my DVR is overflowing.

And you know I’ll still be wearing the Bikilas!